Four Years Ago, Her Husband Cheated on Her Body - Chapter 34

A weekday afternoon at A University usually sees students either busy with classes and self-study or napping in their dorms; theoretically, it should be the quietest time on the campus forum.

However, today at noon, several newly posted threads exploded in popularity, quickly reaching hundreds of replies. Many students were “buying floors” (claiming spots) in the threads, replying with incredible enthusiasm.

[Thread Title: Ahhh! OP met a super handsome “Heaven-sent” younger student at the stadium! Does anyone know which department he’s from?]

Main Post: OP was too excited at the time, heart rate 180, hands shaking. I only managed to snap a blurry photo of his back. [Image] Look at this waist, these legs, this unparalleled aura! I’m going to perform a “falling in love at first sight” right now! Does any kind alumnus have his contact info? Begging! Urgent!!!

1L: Same! Begging! I’m at the stands. Even though I didn’t see his face clearly, I’m losing my mind. Handsome truly is a feeling. I dare say no one can watch him play football without their heart skipping a beat! [Crazy_Licking_Screen.jpg]

15L: It’s been three minutes. Hasn’t a classmate or roommate come forward to claim him yet? Reasonably speaking, it’s been over a month since school started. If there really were a god-tier handsome guy like this, the confession wall would have been flooded long ago.

27L: Flash news! I plucked up the courage to ask the senior from the PE department who was with him. He told me the “Heaven-sent” junior is… from the Management School!

39L: Where are the brothers and sisters from the Management School!!! You’re not allowed to hide him from us, hand over the hottie now!

51L: Your Honor, the Management School is innocent! We’re eating the melon (gossip) ourselves! We’re also thirsting after him, okay?

62L: Tragic news from the front lines. Give up, everyone. Don’t just call anyone dressed like a college student “Junior” next time. He’s an auditor for professional courses… I heard he’s already a corporate executive… [Splitting_Apart.jpg]

75L: Scared me into zooming in on the main post’s photo—zoom, zoom, zoom. This aura, this profile… you’re telling me he’s a corporate executive? That’s… so hot! [Sizzling.jpg]

90L: Luckily I didn’t skip class today. I had the honor of sitting in the same class as the “Heaven-sent” guy. He was listening so seriously, taking notes the whole time. If I hadn’t heard he was an auditor, I really would have thought he was a new freshman~

106L: Are you sure he was taking notes? I was sitting to his side and caught him secretly sending WeChat messages at least three times.

124L: Question: Which company is he an executive at? If I marry him now, my future employment will be sorted (Dreaming).

135L: He entered the classroom after class had already started, so I didn’t get a chance to strike up a conversation. But someone saw his laptop screen; it seemed to have Qianhe’s meeting software on it.

152L: WTF, it’s actually Qianhe? Disperse, everyone, don’t even think about it. We can’t even get past Qianhe’s interview QAQ…

178L: That seems unlikely. Qianhe’s threshold is so high. Why would someone in an executive position need to audit undergraduate professional courses?

197L: You guys seem to have forgotten. Qianhe’s management has a Chairman who was “parachuted” in halfway. For the past few years, the industry called him a “vase” (pretty but useless) puppet holding the company back. It’s only in the last month that his reputation started to turn around.

209L: You couldn’t possibly mean… Jia Qiao?

226L: Heavens, I took a closer look and it really is Jia Qiao!!! In my memory, he was always so aloof, cold, and full of that “fragile beauty” vibe. I almost didn’t recognize him with a high ponytail dressed like a college student! Ahhh!

237L: Is it really my “destined wife” Jia Qiao?!

245L: How did he become your destined wife? Rivals, draw your swords!

266L: Calm down, everyone. I remember Jia Qiao is married, right? He already has a legal husband.

284L: Is your internet lagging? His husband has been missing for four years. As long as I fight for it, I can definitely succeed in taking that spot!

303L: …Keep dreaming. Your primary task right now is to uninstall those melodramatic short-drama apps from your phones. Do you really think a rich CEO would inexplicably fall in love with a poor student?

…

After finishing two professional courses packed with “dry goods” (solid information), Jia Qiao closed his laptop and put it in his backpack.

The moment he stepped out of the classroom, he immediately felt like he was being spectated.

He calmly scanned his surroundings with his peripheral vision. Students passing by would intentionally slow down or even stop, their gazes uncontrollably drifting toward him.

When attending high-society banquets or other events in the past, Jia Qiao was no stranger to being stared at.

But those stares were mixed with scrutiny, calculation, and malice…

These students were also looking at him, but it was more of a simple “looking,” as if they had encountered a giant panda at the zoo—full of pure curiosity and appreciation.

Jia Qiao didn’t sense any hostility, so he didn’t plan to pay them any mind. He shouldered his backpack and prepared to leave.

Just as he was about to exit the teaching building, a boy in front of him was pushed by several friends. He stumbled and crashed to a halt in front of Jia Qiao, his face turning red to the roots of his ears.

“Um, Jia Qiao Sen—Sen—Mr. Jia Qiao, I, I…”

Although he had talked big on the forum, saying he was going to confess to Jia Qiao, he hadn’t even thought of a proper opening line. His tongue was tied in his mouth.

Now thrust in front of the man himself, the boy looked extremely flustered, looking as if he wished a hole would open in the ground and swallow him whole.

Jia Qiao waited for a long time but didn’t hear him finish a single sentence. Instead, he heard the surrounding students whispering words like “confession” and “so brave.”

So… this was a normal confession?

Jia Qiao thought back to a certain someone who had nonchalantly said, “I like you, be my boyfriend,” without even a hint of shyness.

Of course, Jia Qiao was even less aware of shyness, having simply agreed just as casually.

So—

“Wait, let me interrupt.” Jia Qiao cut him off in time, flatly repeating the words Zhu Nanyu had told him before he left the house: “I have a boyfriend at home who is as lingering as a ghost and is waiting for me to go back. Do you still want to continue?”

“Huh? You have a boyfriend!” The boy’s reaction to being rejected was more one of excitement. He gave a sudden, deep 90-degree bow, then turned around to play-fight with his friends. Even from a distance, one could hear them chatting and laughing.

“Look at you, such a coward!”

“Screw off! At least I dared to rush over there. What about you?”

“When were you brave? We clearly pushed you, and you still didn’t confess!”

“What could I do? Standing in front of him, I knew I wasn’t worthy. Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go sing KTV—consider it a celebration of my heartbreak…”

Jia Qiao watched them walk away with their arms around each other’s shoulders, thinking to himself: Are people my age really this emotionally abundant?

If he also possessed such full emotions, with ups and downs of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness every day, what would Zhu Nanyu do…

Lost in thought, Jia Qiao walked aimlessly, only to look up and realize he had circled back to the front of the teaching building.

The peak after-school rush had passed, and the area near the building was nearly empty, looking rather cold and desolate.

Jia Qiao looked around in confusion, wondering if he should find someone to ask for directions or wander around some more on his own.

Before he could decide, his wrist was suddenly grabbed by a warm hand.

Until the moment he was touched, Jia Qiao hadn’t sensed any unfamiliar presence approaching. He jolted instinctively, about to react.

But the person who held his wrist leaned in, resting their weight on Jia Qiao, their breathing somewhat labored.

“Don’t move yet,” he said in a low voice. “Let me lean for a bit.”

“…It’s you.”

Jia Qiao turned his head and saw Zhu Nanyu’s face was pale. It wasn’t the “half-dead” act he usually put on; a certain spot in Jia Qiao’s heart suddenly softened.

“Why are you here?”

According to Zhu Nanyu’s own confession, it was only a week ago—the day Jia Qiao was kidnapped—that he had struggled just to get out of bed, leaving his whole body aching.

The distance from the school gate to the teaching building wasn’t short. Even at a very slow pace, it was no small burden on his body.

“I originally wanted to hide in the car and give you a surprise, but when the time came and you didn’t come out, I guessed you might be lost.”

Zhu Nanyu reached out and took the hand Jia Qiao was using to hold his backpack strap. His fingers flexibly parted Jia Qiao’s, interlockng them with his own.

After resting for a moment, Zhu Nanyu regained his strength and straightened up.

Only then did Jia Qiao notice that he was dressed differently today. He wore a hoodie and sweatpants similar to Jia Qiao’s, along with a baseball cap that was clearly the same style.

Walking down the street like this, unless they were twins, they could only be a couple.

“Let’s go.” Zhu Nanyu held Jia Qiao’s hand and led him slowly toward the exit.

Jia Qiao followed half a step behind, observing him. He noticed that Zhu Nanyu actually had no problem walking normally.

He didn’t know how the man had managed to make himself look so weak just a moment ago.

Jia Qiao stepped forward to walk beside him, looking up at Zhu Nanyu. “Didn’t you say you’d wait for me at home?”

This person hadn’t kept his promise, and claiming it was for a “surprise” made Jia Qiao a bit conflicted about whether he should be angry about it.

Zhu Nanyu immediately explained, “Sorry, but I have a legitimate reason. Let me off the hook this once.”

“What legitimate reason?” Jia Qiao pressed.

“Look.”

Zhu Nanyu led him to the car and tapped on the glass. A round dog head immediately popped up inside, excitedly licking at Jia Qiao through the glass.

“Getting his dog license.”

Since Lu Min really couldn’t contact the dog trafficker and couldn’t turn the Husky into a stray, he had no choice but to keep him at home.

A City had a complete process for raising dogs; one had to go to the police station to register the pup’s “household.”

Lu Min was mute and found communication difficult, and worrying about bothering Jia Qiao, he could only entrust the task to the “wicked male ghost” with a look of deep distrust.

Even though this little Husky had only entered the house that morning, the dog trafficker had actually prepared the full set of procedures for the license and stuffed them into the pet bag, seemingly determined to let the Husky settle down.

In the time it took Jia Qiao to attend class, Zhu Nanyu had already named the Husky.

“Qiao, sit,” Zhu Nanyu commanded.

The pup seemed to realize it needed to behave before officially registering. It sat obediently, its tail wagging like a propeller.

“Good Qiao~” Zhu Nanyu reached out and scratched its chin.

“Qi’ao, Qi’ao…” Jia Qiao repeated it twice, then realized the two characters together sounded like “Qiao,” and was instantly speechless.

Zhu Nanyu’s naming skills were consistent as ever; who knew when he would give up on these lame puns.

“What, isn’t the name cute? Qiaoqiao~”

“Don’t call me…” that.

Just as Jia Qiao was about to retort, the Husky pounced over joyfully, reacting strongly to its new name.

“Oh dear, what can we do? He’s taken that name.” Zhu Nanyu sighed with feigned distress. “From now on, I can only call you Jiao jiao (Delicate/Darling).”

Jia Qiao coldly shrugged off his hand.

Because Lu Min had made an appointment online in advance, the staff on duty quickly processed the license for Qiao when they arrived at the police station.

Qiao was overly energetic and extremely friendly, pestering the female officer they had just met, insisting she rub his belly.

Jia Qiao and Zhu Nanyu couldn’t take the dog and leave yet, so they waited silently to the side.

At that moment, Officer Zhang, who was preparing to get off work, passed by and recognized Jia Qiao at a glance.

Seeing him standing there quietly with a faint smile on his lips, his mood was clearly much better than the last few times.

Officer Zhang felt the time was right. He was being transferred next month, and the matter of cancelling the household registration for the missing person could no longer be delayed.

“Jia Qiao, we meet again.” Officer Zhang took the initiative to approach and said bluntly, “You came at the right time. My office system hasn’t logged out yet. If it’s convenient, let’s go ahead and finish your husband’s de-registration…”

“Officer Zhang.” Jia Qiao turned to him and said politely, “I’m sorry, but I found him.”

“Did you see him in a dream? Or are you having hallucinations from lack of sleep?” Officer Zhang waved his hand, clearly not buying it. “I understand your feelings, but those don’t count. Legally, we only recognize living people.”

Jia Qiao glanced at the person beside him, pulled Officer Zhang into a nearby empty office, and stood on his tiptoes to take off Zhu Nanyu’s baseball cap.

From the time Zhu Nanyu went missing until now, Officer Zhang had practically worn out the files while trying to settle the de-registration; he naturally recognized this face.

Seeing Zhu Nanyu standing there alive and well, Officer Zhang wasn’t surprised. Instead, he showed a helpless expression of “you rich people really know how to play.”

“Jia Qiao, I really, truly understand you, but you can’t just find someone who looks like him to take his place.” Officer Zhang scrutinized Zhu Nanyu from head to toe and sighed, reminding Jia Qiao to face reality. “Your husband, Zhu Nanyu, would be nearly 31 according to the records. If you find a replacement based on what he looked like at 26, in two years you’ll have to find someone younger than you.”

After Officer Zhang finished speaking, he circled Zhu Nanyu twice, muttering, “You don’t say, this find really does look like him. Are you sure he’s a living person?”

“Officer Zhang,” Zhu Nanyu called out to him, a smile on his lips, his voice slow and steady. “Five years ago, when Jia Qiao was being naturalized into the city records, thank you for your help.”

“…Huh?!”

Officer Zhang was so startled his jaw dropped, nearly throwing out his back. He never expected Zhu Nanyu to mention something from five years ago.

That was when the two of them got married. Because A City’s residency standards were strict, marriage alone wasn’t enough to obtain a local household registration (hukou).

Jia Qiao knew nothing of the matter. Zhu Nanyu had pulled many strings behind the scenes and transferred a portion of his real estate to Jia Qiao’s name.

Even so, the approval period for the residency qualification was still set for after their original wedding date.

Seeing how anxious he was, Officer Zhang had helped as much as he could within his authority, finally finishing the process just before they registered their marriage.

Zhu Nanyu hadn’t told Jia Qiao about this, and Officer Zhang felt it was just a minor favor and hadn’t mentioned it to anyone.

Therefore, the only people who knew about this were…

“Officer Zhang, he is the real person.” Jia Qiao looked at the bewildered Officer Zhang and, after thinking for a moment, explained calmly, “To put it simply, I brought him back from ‘underground’ two days ago.”

Officer Zhang: !!!

Brought him back from underground?

Then that means…

Prosperity, democracy, civility, harmony, freedom, equality, justice, rule of law, patriotism, dedication, integrity, friendship! (The Core Socialist Values, often recited as a “mantra” to ward off ghosts/supernatural thoughts in Chinese web-novels).